©Societas Europaea Lepidopterologica; download unter http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ und www.zobodat.at Nota lepid. 29(1/2): 95-111 95 When disrupted characters between species link: a new species of Conistra from Sicily (Noctuidae) ^ Alberto Zilli ^ & Andrea Grassi ' Museum of Zoology, Via U. Aldrovandi 18, 00197 Rome, Italy; e-mail: [email protected] ^ Museo della Farfalla, Riserva Naturale Regionale "Lago di Penne", Via CoUalto 1, 65017 Penne (PE), Italy; e-mail: [email protected] Abstract. Conistra iana sp. n. is described from Sicily. The new species is characterised by an unusual intermingling of characters deemed to be diagnostic for C. vaccinii (Linnaeus, 1761) and C. ligula (Esper, 1791), and shows also some exclusive features. An overall survey of closest congeners revealed that all checked females of "C. ligula'"'' from the south-east Mediterranean are devoid of signum and sparse "C. alicid' from southern Spain and Morocco show markedly dilated postero-lateral processes of antrum, both findings calling for further research on these nominal taxa inasmuch additional entities might be hidden. Orrhodia vaccinii nigra A. Bang-Haas, 1907 is shown to be a senior synonym for Conistra (Orrhodia) alicia Lajonquière, 1939 syn. n. and declared as nomen oblitum in favour of the younger name as nomen protectum. Key words. Conistra, Noctuidae, new species, Sicily. Introduction Zilli (1995) quoted the bizarre occurrence in Sicilian specimens of ''Conistra vaccinii (Linnaeus, 1761)" of an outwardly produced apex of forewing (Figs. 1-2), a feature hitherto considered to be diagnostic of C. ligula (Esper, 1791) (e.g. Guenée 1852; Tutt 1892; South 1961; Bretherton et al. 1983), thus raising doubts about the pubHshed records for the latter species in Sicily. The preliminary identification of those specimens as C. vaccinii rather than C. ligula was based on the occurrence of characters deemed to be diagnostic for C. vaccinii, viz. a clearly lobed submarginal shade on the forewing underside (Fig. 9), an anchor-shaped juxta and a bulbous and apically blunt basal cornutus on the everted vesica (viz. the distal cornutus of the aedeagus, if vesica is not everted) (cf. Lajonquière & Boursin 1943; Koch 1958; Berio 1985) (Figs. 13, 17a-c, 22a-c, 27a-d). Nevertheless, new insights into the morphology of both male and female specimens from Sicily further revealed the linkage of 'vaccinioid' and 'liguloid' characters in the relevant populations. This fact, together with the detection of some unique features, indicates that these populations cannot be assigned to either of the two or any other taxon of the C. vaccinii species-group, as defined by Ronkay et al. (2001). The Sicilian populations are therefore deemed to represent a new species which is described here. Nevertheless, in order to properly address the issue of the taxonomic characterisation of the new species, it was first necessary to circumscribe clearly the ranges of variation shown by its closest congeners. This was done by surveying material from different districts of the species' ranges. Nota lepidopterologica, 14.08.2006, ISSN 0342-7536 ©Societas Europaea Lepidopterologica; download unter http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ und www.zobodat.at 96 ZiLLi & Grassi: a new Conistra from Sicily Materials and methods A thorough check of pubUshed information on the structural characters of taxa of the Conistra (Conistra) vaccinii species-group was first made (Pierce 1909, 1910; Lajonquière 1939; Lajonquière & Boursin 1943; Kostrowicki 1956; Sugi 1959, 1982; Rungs 1972; Kishida & Yoshimoto 1979; Laever 1979; Berio 1983, 1985; Calle 1983; Gomez de Aizpùrua 1987; Yela et al. 1988; Hacker 1990; Hreblay 1992; Yela 1992; Rakosy 1996; Fibiger 1997; Hreblay & Ronkay 1998; Ronkay et al. 2001; Kononenko 2003). As the Sicilian taxon was found to be more closely related to a triplet of species consisting of C. vaccinii, C. ligula and C. alicia Lajonquière, 1939, traditionally regarded as difficult to differentiate from one another, study material of the four species from the following locations was gathered and specimens dissected: Conistra vaccinii'. Finland, France, Corsica, Switzerland, Italy, Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Russia (Ural), Turkey (28 cT, 139). Conistra ligula: Morocco, Algeria, Spain, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Sicily, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey (25cr, 349). Conistra alicia: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Spain, France (4cr, 89). Conistra sp.: Sicily (lOcT, 11 9). Genitalia preparations, pictures and drawings were produced following the standard methods in lepidopterology (e.g. Grassi & Zilli 2005a). Measurements and counts were taken with the aid of a camera lucida. Numbers of the median comuti include even the smallest. A random subset of C. vaccinii and C. ligula was also taken in order to compare the mean lengths (expressed in mm) of quantitatively varying characters with respect to the SiciUan species by Student's t test (Scossiroli & Palenzona 1971). The chosen characters were the basal bulbous comutus (this shared only between C. vaccinii and Conistra sp.) and the antrum, which was measured from anterior margin to bottom point of ostial curved slit. In contrast, a non-parametric Mann-Whitney U- test was performed in order to compare the medians of the distributions of the small comuti between C. vaccinii and C. ligula, inasmuch counts of discrete objects rarely show a normal distribution which allow t test to be applied (Fowler & Cohen 1993). Abbreviations AG coll. A. Grassi, Rome length AZ coll. A. Zilli, Rome sample size HNHM Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest probability level MF coll. M. Fibiger, Sor0 standard deviation MHNG Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle, Geneve Student's t MNHB Museum of Natural History, Bergamo, Italy Mann-Whitney U MZR Museum of Zoology, Rome PP coll. P. Parenzan, Ban Results The new species was shown to be more closely related to C. vaccinii and C. ligula than to C. alicia. The main diagnostic differences between these species and their ranges of variation can be synthetically summarised as follows. ©Societas Europaea Lepidopterologica; download unter http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ und www.zobodat.at Nota lepid. 29(1/2): 95-111 97 Figs. 1-8. Habitus of Conistra spp. 1-2. C. iana sp. n., Sicily, Bosco della Ficuzza, 1. Holotype cT, 2. Paratype 9. 3-4. C. ligula. Central Italy, surroundings of Rome, 3. cT, 4. Ç. 5-6. C. vaccinii. Central Italy, Latium, 9. 7. C. alicia 9, Algeria, Algier (syntype of Orrhodia vaccinii v. nigra A. Bang-Haas, 1907). 8. Idem, Morocco, Ifrane, cf. Conistra vaccinii (Linnaeus, 1761) Figs. 5-6 Diagnosis. Antennal segments of male approximately square with straight basal and distal margins in side view, so as to appear as tightly adpressed in a ' continuous ' flagellum. Forewing with apex little or not produced, due to termen almost regularly straight or ©Societas Europaea Lepidopterologica; download unter http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ und www.zobodat.at 98 ZiLLi & Grassi: a new Conistra from Sicily convex subapically, submarginal shade on underside distinctly lobed with indentations in correspondence with veins (Fig. 11); hindwing and abdomen comparatively pale, the former often showing postmedial line; valvae moderately asymmetrical in length (the right longer) with smooth costal angles, juxta inferiorly anchor-shaped with nearly rectangular inner angles and rather narrow superior plate, vesica with bulbous and apically blunt basal cornutus, median bundle with 7-27 small comuti (Figs. 14, 18a-c, 21a-c, 26a-d); antrum short and narrow, with narrow and tapering posterolateral lobes, bursa with two small elongate signa, sclerotisation of cervix bursae little extended (Figs. 30, 35a-e). Remarks. The species is remarkably variable in colour, although most often orange brown or reddish brown; blackish specimens are extremely rare (cf. Steiner 1997: 466). As specimens with slightly produced forewing apex are not uncommon, the best diagnostic character in external habitus with respect to C. ligula is represented by features of the submarginal shade on the forewing underside. Asymmetry in the length of valvae has not been generally noted in the literature, but this is fairly frequent, although to a variable extent, and most emphasized in populations from peninsular Italy (e.g. the ratios of lengths left/right valva varied in our sample between 0.88-0.93). The bundle of median cornuti is generally stated as being not numerous, but a lot of variation has been found both in the number and size of these comuti. As a matter of fact, the medians of the distributions of these cornuti do not significantly differ between C. vaccinii (N=20) and C. ligula (N=13) {U = 125; P < 0.05). It should not be underestimated, however, that these cornuti are likely to detach during copula (cf. Ronkay et al. 2001: 111, under C. aliciä) and Statistical comparisons should be better performed with bred unmated males. Distribution. Palaearctic, from western Europe to the Russian Far East (Amur), as far south as southern Europe, Turkey, Iran and Turkestan. Records from China (Chen 1999) seem ascribable to other taxa. We have been unable to identify any authentic specimen from Northwest Africa, where the species is stated to occur (Ronkay et al. 2001). Not known from Sicily, despite some quotations from this island. Conistra ligula (Esper, 1791) Figs. 3-4 Diagnosis. Antennal segments of male approximately rectangular (longer than wide) with straight basal and distal margins in side view, so as to appear as tightly